Hi all
We're a family of three, soon enough to be four, and we like to hike and bike when we can (way less than we'd hope to, but hey). Currently we have a TT Contrail that I use on solo trips, and a TT Stratospire 2 which is *&%$#! excellent. We also have a Nemo Pentalite, but it's a bit big and heavy for hiking/biking and more for car/base camping. We're off to Tassie next month and hope to do an overnighter or two. I was planning on taking the SS2 and the Contrail, which would be fine. But a Cloudburst 3 would be better - lighter - and it would mean that in the future we'd have the flexibility of having one adult and two kids in it, plus another adult in the Contrail if we wanted to, all for about 2.3kg.
So I was about to pull the trigger when I had a closer look at what else was around and the BA Copper Spur HV UL3 looks pretty good at 1.7kg. It looks to be a bit roomier, and it's double wall. The CB3 on its own is about 1.5kg but can come with an optional 3rd pole and liner, which puts the weight up to about 1.9kg apparently. Weight wise there's not heaps in it, but the BA doesn't need a liner nor any extra poles and stuff. It looks a fair bit more involved to pitch than the CS3 (or any TT I've had experience with; it's much more like my old Hubba Hubba), but it doesn't seem complicated. Anyway. Now I'm in that cycle of not knowing what to do. Let's list some pros and cons.
Cloudbust 3
Pros
- Easy pitch
- Lighter without the 3rd pole +/- liner
- Better views with the vestibule doors open
- Better ventilation with the vestibule doors open
- Cheaper
Cons
- Less spacious
- Liner reduces volume further, and seems to be a faff to fit
- Prone to more condensation problems (my Contrail is prone to condensation too, but I've always seemed to manage it OK, although I reckon it'd be tougher with three in the tent, especially fidgety kids)
- heavier with extra pole and liner
BA Copper Spur HV UL3
Pros
- Looks roomier
- Double wall
- Lighter fully equipped
Cons
- Bit more fiddly to setup
- More complicated pole setup
- Floor looks less tough, and I don't want to use a footprint (my TTs seem to have pretty tough floors), but mates with BA gear have not had trouble (actually a mate's poles broke, but they were easy to replace)
- More expensive
- The views outside with the vestibules open don't look like they'd be as good
Anyway, just putting it out there. I'm sure plenty of you have found yourselves in this position, wondering what to get between two pretty great things. I know I have. Do any of you have any input that might sway my thoughts?